We have launched a community effort to examine the fiction of Race in order to address the fact of Racism. Our plan is to provide information, opportunities, and events that can help us come together as a society to end racism. We will meet the first three Fridays of each month from 4:00 to 6:30 PM at BSEC to plan our efforts, to share resources and related experiences.

Please join if you are interested and available.

All members of BSEC and their personal guests are welcome at the learning sessions of Lucy’s Children. Non-members are welcome to observe business meetings without direct participation. We are a volunteer membership group convening to be a catalyst for conversations at BSEC as well as in the outside world on Ending Systemic Racism and White Supremacy. We seek to engage in conversations, develop programs, promote personal development, and deepen our interpersonal connections. We seek to learn from our individual and shared experiences and engage in advocacy on racial issues in the wider world.

Lucy was discovered in 1974 by paleontologists in Ethiopia. At that time she was the earliest known ancestor of the human species. This is why we call our group Lucy’s children.

Note: if anyone wants to join LC but can’t make the 4-6;30PM time slot on Fridays please speak to one of the LC members or email Tasha Paley tashapal@gmail.com with a request for change of time.

Start your Sunday morning by connecting with your body and breath. Class will open with a short meditation followed by gentle guided movement through basic yoga asanas.
FEE FOR PARTICIPANTS:
BSEC Members: FREE
Non-Members: Sliding Scale $5-$15

Please bring a yoga mat and any props you like to use. Some yoga experience is recommended but not required.
Classes will take place at our library.

THE TEACHER:
Lea Bender is a certified Yoga instructor bringing over twenty years of yoga and meditation training and practice along with and a background in circus, physical theater, and Pilates to her teaching. She teaches a range of different styles from Vinyasa to Restorative, but at the root of every class is the intention to help students tap into the profound nature of our human experience through connection to body and breath. Lea received her 200-hour RYT certification at Jaya Yoga Center, where she is currently teaching. Lea also teaches for Six Petals Retreats with an annual March retreat in the Costa Rican rainforest. Lea is the former Education Director for Ethics for Children (EfC) at BSEC and currently teaches Living Ethics for EfC on Sunday mornings after yoga.

Now more than ever we need to take time out to stop and reflect on our health both mind and body.
We will gather in a circle as a community to listen and speak from our hearts. We will also share a silent meditation together.
These are turbulent times. As we continue the many ways that we support our families, friends and communities, and our country, we also need to create mindful practices of self-care.
Remember to fill your cup in order to share your overflow for the good!

Christian Hayden, member of the Ethical Humanist Society of Philadelphia and Future of Ethical Societies, will explore his year of service in Northern Ghana with the Humanist Service Corps, using reflections and poetry. Join him as he wrestles with spirituality, identity, and his struggle to find presence and peace with an expanded worldview and a broader definition of home.

Christian Hayden lives in Philadelphia, and is a community educator with a domestic violence organization. He enjoys hip hop, learning languages, and creating reflective spaces.

What does it mean to be a person of courage? What does it mean to be a community of courage? For October, 2017, we’ll explore this theme in several different ways on Sunday.

Our Ethics for Children program provides a fun, focused learning environment for kids to explore topics that foster empathy, respect and a deeper understanding of self and others. These include: our relationship to the natural world, the diversity of world religions and philosophies, social justice and action, and peaceful problem-solving.

The goal of Ethics for Children is to provide children with skills and knowledge to help them make ethical choices and learn to respect the inherent worth of every human being. We do not impose a fixed set of values or beliefs. Rather, we encourage children to respect and learn about themselves and their environment and to examine how their own ideas and actions impact the greater world.

The program also includes yoga and mindfulness, permaculture and environmental practices, arts, service and volunteering and community building activities.

We focus on 5 major principles:
Care for the Self
Care for the Family
Care for the Community
Care for the Earth
Care for the World

Ethics for Children can also be a full family activity, with classes for all ages and free adult programs at the same time for those who want to attend.

If you’ve been wondering about this Society and community, this is an opportunity to learn more, share your own hopes for connection, and get to know some of the people at BSEC. If you’ve been wondering about this Society and community, this is an opportunity to learn more, share your own hopes for connection, and get to know some of the people at BSEC.
Join us for an evening of conversation, food and community as we share about our ethical tradition and vibrant society. This will be a great opportunity to hear more about the experiences of our members and find out how your passions connect with BSEC programs and committees.
Please join us at:
Brooklyn Society for Ethical Culture (at the library)
53 Prospect Park West, Brooklyn, NY 11215
(FREE CHILDCARE AVAILABLE)
Refreshments and food will be provided.
RSVP below.

Join us for a guided journey through Native American history and culture, with lunch at Fraunces Tavern* and a historical walking tour of Battery Park in Manhattan’s Financial District (*payment not included). Tour Guide: Evan Prichard, Director, The Center for Algonquin Culture, Woodstock, NY Evan Pritchard is a descendant of the Mi’kmaq people (part of the Algonquin nation). Professor of Native American history, ethics and philosophy.
Inquiries: 718-541-9364 or email harrisonrows@gmail.com
Price: $30
Reserved space will be maintained for those paid in full by October 22, 2017.

Start your Sunday morning by connecting with your body and breath. Class will open with a short meditation followed by gentle guided movement through basic yoga asanas.
FEE FOR PARTICIPANTS:
BSEC Members: FREE
Non-Members: Sliding Scale $5-$15

Please bring a yoga mat and any props you like to use. Some yoga experience is recommended but not required.
Classes will take place at our library.

THE TEACHER:
Lea Bender is a certified Yoga instructor bringing over twenty years of yoga and meditation training and practice along with and a background in circus, physical theater, and Pilates to her teaching. She teaches a range of different styles from Vinyasa to Restorative, but at the root of every class is the intention to help students tap into the profound nature of our human experience through connection to body and breath. Lea received her 200-hour RYT certification at Jaya Yoga Center, where she is currently teaching. Lea also teaches for Six Petals Retreats with an annual March retreat in the Costa Rican rainforest. Lea is the former Education Director for Ethics for Children (EfC) at BSEC and currently teaches Living Ethics for EfC on Sunday mornings after yoga.

We join hundreds of congregations around the country and with the Interfaith Immigration Coalition in a “DREAM Sabbath” standing in solidarity with immigrant youth.

The Interfaith Immigration Coalition (IIC) is a partnership of faith-based organizations committed to enacting fair and humane immigration reform that reflects a mandate to welcome the stranger and treat all human beings with dignity and respect. Coalition members work together to advocate for just and equitable immigration policies, educate faith communities, and serve immigrant populations around the country.

Speaker: Mishal Pahrand, an Assisting Attorney for Justice for Our Neighbors (JFON). From the organization’s description: Justice for Our Neighbors is a ministry of hospitality that welcomes immigrants by providing free, high-quality immigration legal services, engaging in advocacy for immigrants’ rights, and offering education to communities of faith and the public.